Troubled Dreams
by boshrocks
Summary: A sweet fluffy little DASEY one-shot. Casey is having a bad night and Derek wants to help. There may be a sequel if people like it enough.


Through the little vent in the wall joining Derek's room to Casey's, he could hear her tossing and turning fretfully in her sleep. All the rest of the house was still; there was no one else there. The March Break Road Trip idea had been resumed and the oldest teens had flatly refused to go along, same as last time.

Derek wondered what Casey was dreaming about to make her so anxious a sleeper. Whatever it was it was clearly a bad dream if it was troubling her so much. Derek reflected on her behaviour that day. There had been nothing out of the ordinary about her, at least not more than usual; she was an extraordinary girl. And Derek knew this although he only admitted it to himself. No, there was no hint of a troubled mind in her actions.

Finally, deciding enough was enough, he got up and went round to her room. Pausing at her door, he reconsidered. It was never a good idea to wake Casey in the middle of the night. But he wanted to help her.

From the other side of the door he could hear her whimpering in such a pitiful, childlike way that his heart almost wept with a desire to help and comfort her.

As gently and as quietly as he could he pushed open her door. Her eyelids, as they rested their long eyelashes against her soft cheeks, were moving and the eyes behind them were worriedly busy. Although she had stopped tossing and turning, her head shot from side to side, her cheeks were flushed, her breathing was harsh and uneven, and her hands clutched at her covers as though they would be a shield against the horrors in her head.

Derek's heart went out to the childlike little woman. Contrary to popular belief he did care about his stepsister and he had found, of late, that he was more protective of her than he cared to admit.

Casey gave a violent lurch and then lay very still. If she had been having a falling dream that moment would have been the moment she hit the ground.

Without conscious knowledge of his actions Derek slipped into the room and into the bed beside her. He lay close to her and took her nearest hand, which he felt relax under his warm gentle touch.

His other hand found its way to her hair. Softly stroking it seemed to relax her too. In fact the moment he had lain beside her she had grown peaceful, as if his mere presence was the very comfort she needed. Derek pondered how he had suddenly gained this insight into his Casey's actions as he watched her.

The eyes behind the eyelids stopped flickering and she nuzzled closer to him. Derek smiled. "Not to worry Case, I'm here to scare away your nightmares," he breathed, sleepy himself.

When he woke next morning it was to find a very peaceful Casey lying with her back pressed to his front, one of his arms around her waist his fingers plaited with hers against her belly and the other underneath her, holding her other hand beside their other intertwined hands, their legs entwined. His head was in the curve of her neck, peeking over her shoulder, and he could smell her rosy smell, feel her skin, smooth as a baby's butt. She was so lovely.

It occurred to him how right she felt, lying there in his arms. Almost like she was supposed to be there. Derek felt she belonged there with him. He wanted to protect her from all her troubled sleeps, as he had done that night.

He didn't know where this feeling had come from, but suddenly he felt like he wanted to make her happy. And he never felt that for anyone.

It was all romantic nonsense. He was Derek; he didn't feel like this for anyone but himself.

And yet, suddenly he wanted to wake up next to Casey every day for the rest of his life.

He wanted to feel her in his arms every day, knowing she was his and loved no one else. He wanted to soothe her tempers and freak outs, protect her from her nightmares. He wanted to look after her when she got sick and disgusting, because even then he thought she was the most beautiful girl on the planet. He wanted to tell her she was beautiful and special and wonderful every day and never let her forget it. He wanted her to know that she was a treasure. He wanted to make her blush by paying her little compliments.

He wanted her.

Subconsciously, with the same impulsiveness of his actions last night, he tenderly kissed the bare skin of her shoulder, the thin strap of her tank top hanging loosely off her shoulder. He then reached round and kissed her cheek, also with no control over his deeds.

Casey gave a little contented moan in the back of her throat and Derek felt a rush of affection for her. He never wanted to let her go.

But let her go he must. If she were to wake and find them like that she would freak out, and that would hardly help the matter.

With a last soft kiss or two on her shoulder he slowly untangled himself from her and got out of the bed. He stared down at her, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Casey would never be more his than she had been last night, and that thought broke his heart a little.

It was a fairly depressed Derek that slipped from the room, closing the door gently behind him.

As soon as the latch clicked, Casey opened her eyes and looked round at the door. A small smile crept over her lips as she put a hand to her cheek where he had kissed her so tenderly.


End file.
